Machine for forming rubber tubes and the like.



E. 8. CURRENT. V MACHINE FOR FORMING RUBBER TUBES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. 1914. I 1,179,077;

1milIIIIIIiilillllliiiiiimllii m m w 1 m. z

L we mm w Mr G Am d r v E. 8. CURRENT.

MACHINE FOR FORMING RUBBER TUBES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. l5. l9l4.

1 179,077 Patented Apr. 11,1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

" vwentoz 3&1

E. 3. CURRENT. MACHINE FOR'FORMING RUBBERJUBES AND THE LIKE. 7

'APPLICATION FILED APR. l5 19M.

Pqtented 'Apr, 11-, 19 16;

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

lllr. XIPIHVWIIYIIILIIIWJ a .3 F 1 I S a a m is E .8 hf 3 C mm em o o Nra Q a: *3 i 3 'E.' s. cunmam, MACHINE FOR FORMING RUBBER TUBES AND THELIKE. 7 1,179,077.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 19H.

5 Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

avwen tpz I v v gu rgnt v 1 To, all/whom it may concern:

NIT

MACHINE FOR FoRMiitG'RUBBER TUBES AND THE L nn.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for forming rubbertubes and the like and theobjects of the present invention are. first,to provide a semi-automatic ma chine whereby the unvu'lcanized rubber isrolled upon a mandrel, second, to provide a means whereby the mandreltogether with the rubber rolled-upon the mandrel is de-' liver-ed towhat might be termed a receiving trouglnand third,1to generally improvemachines ot' the type to which this invention belongs. These objects,together with other objects. readily apparent to thoseskilled in theart. I attain bythe construction illus: trated' in the accompanyingdrawings, although my invention 'may be embodiedin a varietyof othermechanical forms, the con strnction illustrated being chosen by way'ofexample. y I In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is an end View of whatmight be termed the front or feeding end'of the machine. 2 is an endviewof the/delivery end of the machine. Fig. 3 isa topview, showing themandrel rolling head and presser head moved, into position to roll 'thematerial upon'the table. F ig. 4 is a side elevation showing the presserhead and mandrel rolling head in the position illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the presser and rolling head andits-tracks and the pos tion of the trip plates during the.

- time the rolling :and presser head is moved toward the left hand endof the figure.

Fig. 6 is; a similar view showing the rolling and presser head movinginthe opposite directionJ Fig. '7 is-a view showingaportion of one oftheside channel bar tracks or ways and illustrating the trip plates intheir u-ormal pos tions; Fig. 8 is a View showing a portion of themandrel rolling and presser.

head orplateshowing aportion of the cross base and one of the slidingblocks. I is a (lQfZlChQtl View of one of the heads designed forengagement with one'of the mandrel 'pressingand rolling head actuatingscrew threaded shafts.

sTATEs PATENT OFFICE. f

Specification of Letters Bate lit. v Application filed April 15, 1914.Serial No. 8231,9505.

side members 3 forming, I

'ing housings are provided webmaster.

Fig. 9

ELMER s. CURRENT, 0F BEECH our, oH Io.

Patented'Apr. 11, 1916 I I v v t E Similar numerals of referenceindicate corresponding parts mall the figures of the drawings. y In theaccompanying drawings, 1 repre sents the base orlegs upon which ismounted and connected the frame 2; the legs and-1 frame constitutingwhat mightbe termed the base or support. of the machine. proper, and'isa. rectangular. structure formed oi suificient strength and rigidity tocarry the variousiparts both stationary and movable and to hold saidpartsin proper relation;

ship with reference to. each other. The constructionof the frameproperdioes not have to do particularly with thef inveIrtion,except thata suitable fraine mustfbe; constructed such as common in machinesof. thetype to which this belongs. I The lower;

part of the frame are grooved upon their top or .upper'ed ge' i fi'thegroove being preferably V -shaped:,.; l cross section,- such as '4..The groovedabars,

3 are for the purpose of supporting. and carry ng the movlngouslngs'oywlnch mov -g callysliding heads or 'members 6 .to whio 5 areconnected in any convenient and well known manner theflcross bar7,'andto which cross bar is atta'ched'the mandrel 'rolling'anidi pressureplate8, whiehpressure plate ishegld againstrocking or tiltingmovementgbygos means of the brace ba'rs Q or their equiya lents. saidbrace bars being connected tov the mandrel pressing roll plate 8 I Tothe frame 2 areconnected in anyfco venient and well known manner thechannel} at bars 10, said channelbais beingprovided, with upper andlower tread. flanges 11 and 912, To the cross bar 7 or its equivalentare.

attached the downward extending bars and to the bottom or lower ends ofthe bars 13 are pii'otally attached the short bars. which short barscarry the journaled traye ing rollers 15, said rollers being for the purpose of supporting the. vertical movablej o mandrel pressure and rollinghead madeup ofthe cross bar 7, the pressure plate 8 ant the brace bars9, together with theisliding; heads or blocksfi. To the" end members of.

the frame are journaled two screw threaded 9 or. 1

shafts 16,, which are formed of a. length to correspond substantiallywith the length of; the frameproper and are for thepurposfep ofimparting a reciprocating 'mov'e'ment to 1 the ea ie 5? ea er w j e fint 9 parts connected to and carried by said housings.

For the purpose of im 'iarting rotary movement to the screw threadedshafts It) the cross shaft 17 is proyided, which cross 1 shaft is thepower shaft or the main driving shaft and is provided .vlithjpthe tightand loose pulleys 1S and '19, thepulley 15) being a tight pulley and thepulleys 18 loose ones, and for the purpose of reversing the motion ofthe screw threaded shafts 16 the ordinary open and closed belts 20 and21 are provided, which belts communicate with any source of power. Theconstruction so far as theopen and closed belts and the tight and loosepulleys are concerned is common and well known and need no detaileddescription.

The cross or power shaft 17 is provided with the worm gears 22, whichworm gears mesh with the gear wheels 23 and the gear wheels 2% mesh withthe'gear wheels which gear wheels are connected to the screw threadedshafts 1G. I have illustrated in what might be termed a conventional waythe gearing for imparting rotary motion to the screw threaded shafts 16,but the specific gearing is immaterial, except that the gear mg must besuch as to rotate the screw threaded shafts in unison, and. in the samedirection at the same time. For the purpose of imparting a reciprocatingmovement to the housings 5. said housings are provided with theblocksor'heads 26, the, inner ends or edges of said blocks beingprovided with I screw threaded semi-circular grooves 27, the

pitch of the grooves corresponding with the pitch of the screw threadsupon the shaft 16.

For the purpose of bringing about the proper adjustment for the blocks26 with reference to each other, the blocks are provided with theflanges 28, said flanges being provided with the recesses 29 and theflanges 28 adjustably connected to the'housings 5 .by means of suitablelug bolts 00 or their equivalents. It will be understood that by therotation of the screw threaded shafts 16 and by reason of the blocks 26and the screw threaded grooves 27 movement will be imparted to thehousings '5; the direction'of movement-being governed by the directionof rotation of the screw threaded shafts '16.

In the manufacture of tubes by the use of my present invention ametallicmandrel such as 81 is used, which mandrel is of'a" length tocorrespond with the length'of'the tube and owing to the fact thatthe-tubes must be formed'of a length suliicient to produce the innertube of a tire, the full length must necessarily be about ten or twelvefeet long, reference of course. being had to the diameter ot a wheel,upon which a completed tire is to be placed. Upon this long metallicmandrel is first rolled a sheet or sheets of unvulcanized rubber, and itis with presserplate R togetli'e I parts is moved inithe oppositedirection or during its backwarilmovement it shoiild be 5 i i 126 themandrel that this invention hasto do.

- To the frame proper is attached a table 32, which table is formed of awidth equal to about one-thiri'l of the length of the machine proper.The table 31 is preferably coverml avith cloth as indicz'ited by thenuincral Q32, and upoii this cloth covering is placed the. unvulcanizedrubber designed to be wound upon the mandrel, the initiative arrangementof the mandrel and the unvul canized sheet of'rubber being illustratedin Fig. 3', in which ligure is illustrated the po sition of the movablepressure or rolling plate H. together with the different parts, such asthe housings and the parts carried by said housings.

it is well understood by those skilled in the art. that unvnlcanizedrubber will more readily adhc e to a metallic surface than it will to a.fibrous surface, hence the necessity of covering the table 32 with thefibrous cover 32.

The operation of then'iachine is substantially as follows: Assuming thatthe inandrel, the sheet of rubber and the rolling and pressing plate arein the positions shown in Fig. l, rotary motion is imparted to the screwthreaded shafts 16 and in the direction to move the pressure plate 8over the table. -ln order that as the rolling and pressure plate 8 maybe brought down upon the mandrel during the time the unvulcanized rubberis. being placed upon the mandrel the channel bars are each providedwith the inclines 34 and upon which inclines the traveling rollers 15move upon, thereby allowing the presser plate 8 together with I themovable parts connected to said presser lower tread flange 12 during thetime the presser plate is upon the mandrel. other wise the weight. f:fly) resser plate would. be ren'iovedfrom the n'i-and'rel. and in orderto providefor-this condition the arms 13 should be formed of such alength that the traveling wheel'sd'fi will be spaced a short distancefrdm'the nppcifaces of the lower tread flanges ashest illustrated inFig. (3.

'It will be 'uiulerstoodl"that when 'tliw with its different elevated sothat there could be no possibility" of imparting a bacluardntollingmovement to the mandrel and in,drd'er to provide means for thuselevating the head. the hinged tread sections 35 are provided and as thetraveling wheels 15 move under said 1 frame, a mandrel adapted to rollupon said table, tracks or ways carried by the frame, housings movablymounted upon the tracks or ways, means for imparting reciprocatingmovement to said housings, a pressure plate adjustably connected to andcarried by the housings, downward extending barsycarried by the pressureplate, said downward extending bars provided at their lower ends withrollers, channel bars fixed to the frame, said channel bars providedwith spaced up per and lower tread flanges, hinged plates connected tothe upper tread flanges of the channel bars and inclined flanges locatedbetween the upper and lower flanges of the channel bars.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, atable fixed to the frame, a mandrel adapted to roll upon said table,housings, tracks or ways adapted to support said housings, means forimparting reciprocating movement to the housings, a pressure platecarried by the housings and adapted for vertical movement with referenceto the housings, and means for imparting vertical movement during thereciprocating movements of the housings.

In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, a tablefixed to and carried by said frame, a mandrel adapted to roll upon saidtable, housings, tracks or ways adapted to support said housings, meansfor moving said housings upon said tracks or ways, a pressure platecarried by the housings and adapted to rest upon the mandrel, saidpressure plate connected to vertically movable guide blocks, saidpressure plate mounted upon'traveling rollers, upper and lower spacedtread flanges adapted to support said traveling rollers and the pressureplate and means for shifting the tread of the rollers from the upper tothe lower tread flanges.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, atable fixed to and carried by said frame, a mandrel adapted to roll uponsaid table, housings, tracks or ways adapted to support said housings,means for moving said housings upon said tracks or ways, a pressureplate carried by the housings and adapted to rest upon the mandrel, saidpressure plate connected to vertically movable guide blocks, saidpressure plate mounted upon traveling rollers, upper and lower spacedtread flanges adapted to support said traveling rollers and the pressureplate, and means for shifting the tread of the rollers from the lower-tothe uppertr'ead flanges.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, atable fixed to and carried by said frame, a mandrel adapted to roll uponsaid table, housings, tracks or ways adapted to supportsaid housings,means for moving said housings upon said mandrel, said pressure plateconnected to vertically movable guide blocks, said pressure late mountedu )on travelin rollers upper and lower spaced tread flanges adapted tosupport said traveling rollers and the prcssln'e plate, means forshifting the tread of the rollers from the lower to the upper treadflanges, and a series of spaced bars adapted to receive the mandrel.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame,atable lixedto and carried by said frame, a mandrel adapted to roll uponsaid table, housings, tracks or ways adapted to support said housings,means for moving said housings upon said tracks or ways in opposite.directions, a pressure plate carried by the housings and adapted when ina lowered position to rest upon the mandrel, said. pressure plateconnected'to vertically movable guide blocks, said pressure platemounted upon traveling rollers, upper and lower spaced tread flangesadapted to support said traveling rollers, and the pressure plate, meansfor shifting the rollers and the pressure plate vertically,ase ries ofinclined spaced bars adapted to carry the mandrel.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, atable fixed to and carried by said frame, a mandrel adapted to roll uponsaid table, housings, tracks or ways adapted to support said housings,means for moving said housings upon said tracks or ways in oppositedirections, a pressure plate carried by the housings and adapted when ina lowered position to rest upon the mandrel, said pressure plate connected to vertically movable guide blocks, said pressure plate mountedupon traveling rollers, upper and lower spaced tread flanges adapted tosupport said traveling rollers, and the pressure plate, means forshifting the rollers and the pressure plate vertically, a series ofinclined, spaced bars adapted to carry the mandrel, the lower ends ofsaid spaced bars provided with trough shaped portions.

8. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a frame, a. table fixed to and carried by said frame, amandrel adapted to roll upon said table, housings, tracks or waysadapted to support said housings, means for moving said housings uponsaid tracks or ways in opposite directions, a. pressure plate carried bythe housings and adapted when in'a lowered position to rest upon themandrel, said pressure plate connected to vertically movable guideblocks,

a series of inclined spacedbars adapted to carry themandrel, the lowerends of said spaced bars provided with trough shaped portions, and astop, bar adapted for contact Withthe mandrel.

9. In a machine of the class described,

, the combination of a frame, a table fixed to the frame, a mandreladapted. to roll upon the table, housings, tracks or Ways adapted tosupport said housings, means for moving and guidlng said housings, apressure plate carried by the housings and adapted for contact Withthemandrel and means for moving said pressure plate to and from themandrel. 10. In a machine of the class described,

the combination of a frame, a table fixed to the frame, a mandreladapted to roll upon the table, housings, tracksor Ways adapted tosupport said housings, means for moving and guiding said housings, apressure plate carried by the housings and adapted for com;

tact with the mandrel, and means for alu W ips.

a) support said housings, means ternately from the mandrel.

11. In a machine of the class. described,-

moving said pressure plate to 'and the combination of a, frame, atable'fixe'd to the frame, a mandrel adapted to roll upon the table,housings, tracks or ways adapted 'or moving and guiding said housings apressure plate carried by the housings an adapted for con= tact with themandrel and means for mow ing said ressure plate to and froi the man,drel, and inclined bars extended rem-the table and adapted to receivethe andrel, and means for holding the mandrel upon said inclined bars.

In testimony that 1 claim the above, i

have hereunto subscribed my name-1n the presence of two witnesses. I

, ELMER S. CURB NT.

Witnesses:

SYLVA Boizon, F. W. Bonn.

